Although Levi Harmon has not had to wrap any difficult or unusual gifts this holiday season, there is one popular toy that has left the Oak Grove High School senior confused.

“We wrapped these gothic looking dolls. I think they are Monster High dolls,” he said. “They are not hard to wrap. I just don’t understand them. I am not in the right age group, I guess.”

The All Wrapped Up gift wrapping service is in full swing at Independence Center. The booth, which opened Dec. 1, is one of the biggest annual projects for the E-Studies class.

The project is developed, organized and completely run by students in the program, which is through the Fort Osage Career and Technology Center and meets at Independence Center.

Carol Bolin, the E-Studies program teacher, said the students continue to work hard and learn a lot about what it takes to run a business.

“We are doing about the same amount of business as we were this time last year,” she said. “I think his project really helps students understand the process of opening and implementing a business plan. They realize very quickly how difficult it is to operate their own business.”

This year, 35 students are enrolled in the yearlong program, one of the highest enrollments ever. Students come from the Blue Springs, Independence, Fort Osage, Grain Valley and Oak Grove school districts and must first complete the lower level marketing and business courses at the CTC before enrolling in E-Studies.

Christina Hamilton, a senior at Blue Springs South, said she joined the E-Studies program because she wants to start her own makeup company one day. She said the most beneficial thing she has learned so far this semester is the importance of ordering the right supplies for a business such as the wrapping booth. Students are responsible for inventory, such as wrapping paper, tape and boxes for the duration of the business.

All of the proceeds from the booth are split between the Simon Youth Foundation and the Independence Center DECA chapter.

“I like it, and it is really fun,” she said. “Learning to wrap early on made this a lot easier. The best present I have wrapped is a pair of chocolate topaz earrings. Those were really cool.”

Bolin said she expects business to start picking up now that Christmas is less than two weeks away. She said although Independence Center has not been busy, she said it seems everyone who comes into the mall is there to buy.

“People are here buying, and many of them are here to get their gifts wrapped,” Bolin said. “We have a great partnership with Simon Malls and with the Simon Youth Foundation. This is definitely a nice service for the customers here at Independence Center, and allows out students to get this kind of wonderful experience.”